The Night And The Fury
by BeyondTheClouds777
Summary: What if the other riders had joined with Hiccup sooner, during his battle against Dagur? How would it have changed the outcome of the episode?
1. Chapter 1

**What if the other riders had joined with Hiccup sooner, during his battle against Dagur? How would it have changed the outcome of the episode? This is just some random idea I got the other day...decided to turn it into something. :) I hope you all enjoy it! :D **

Hiccup balled his fist at his side in anger. Dagur was crazy...but Hiccup _never _thought the insane Berserker Chief would actually stoop so low as to want to kill Toothless and wear his skull as a helmet.

"Okay, that's it," said Hiccup, his voice demanding and harsh. "I am _NOT _going to let you kill that dragon."

Dagur sighed, lowering the crossbow that was aimed directly at Toothless. "This again?" he asked, sounding annoyed. "_Fiiiiinnnneee. _You saw it first. You can...take home a _wing _or something."

Hiccup cringed in disgust. "No, I'm pretty much going to take the whole thing," said Hiccup. Cupping his hand around his mouth, he performed his Night Fury Call. Instantly, Dagur turned to look at him in confusion, and when he looked back, Toothless was right in front of him, growling and snarling.

Dagur jumped back in shock as Toothless bounded towards Hiccup, turning to the side to let Hiccup get on his back. Dagur squinted, and then noticed the leather saddle on Toothless' back.

"Is that a-?" he started.

"Saddle?" Hiccup finished for him. "Yes, Dagur. That's exactly what it is."

Dagur looked at him in stunned shock. "So I was-"

"Right all along," Hiccup cut him off again, jumping on Toothless' back. "We do _not _hunt dragons on Berk. We _ride _them."

Dagur looked, sudden realization hitting him. "Your father lied to…" He started. "YOU lied to me!"

"He was trying to keep the peace between our tribes," said Hiccup, his voice flat, betraying no emotion he could have been feeling. "So was I."

"By making a _FOOL_, out of _ME!?" _Dagur shouted.

"You don't need a lot of help with that, Dagur," said Hiccup contemptuously.

Dagur instantly reached to pull his weapon out once more, but stopped when Toothless snarled at him ferociously.

"Your move," Hiccup threatened.

"You could have been my brother, Hiccup!" Dagur shouted, sounding hurt. "Now...you're my _enemy." _

"Have it your way," said Hiccup, "but remember. We have the dragons, and we are not afraid to use them."

Toothless growled.

"Let's get out of here, bud," said Hiccup, patting Toothless' head.

They took to the sky, not noticing as Dagur pulled a bola out of no where and threw it straight at them. They noticed, however, when they crashed towards the ground, ropes from Dagur's bola snagging his tailfins.

Hiccup jumped off the dragon's back as soon as they hit the ground, but before he could untangle the bolas, another one was thrown, and Toothless was tied up completely.

Dagur drew his sword and raced forward with an ear piercing scream, but was stopped when Hiccup stepped between the deranged Berserker and his dragon, shoving his shield up against Dagur's weapon.

Enraged, Dagur shoved Hiccup to the ground, and resumed his task on killing Toothless. Just as he was ready to bring his weapon down, Hiccup threw his shield straight at him, successfully disarming him in the process.

While Hiccup ran to get his weapon back, Dagur sneered, aggravated and annoyed at the same time. As soon as Hiccup picked up his shield, Dagur started hurdling knives and daggers towards the young Dragon Rider.

Hiccup put his shield up to block them, every single one missing him in Dagur's vain attempts. Toothless managed to knock Dagur off his feet with his tail, only to have Dagur tumble to the ground right next to his crossbow.

He grabbed it and stood up again, aiming the crossbow now to the tree Hiccup was hiding behind.

"Your move, _Hiccup_," he said mockingly.

Suddenly, though, blasts of fire poured down from the sky. Dagur turned and watched just as Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut and Tuffnut flew towards them on their dragons, Stormfly, Hookfang, Meatlug, Barf and Belch letting loose their fury. Dagur then turned towards them, and aimed his crossbow at their flight patterns, aiming, ready to fire at will.

Hiccup jumped out of his hiding spot, dropping his shield in the process. As he ran, he picked up one of Dagur's discharged knives and sliced through Toothless' bonds. Then, he ran towards the Berserker Chief himself, dropping the weapon at his side.

He didn't know who or what Dagur was aiming at, but he knew enough to realize it was either one of the Dragon Riders, or their dragons. Just as Dagur shot the arrow, Hiccup slammed into him, knocking the crossbow out of his hands, where it clattered to the ground an instant later.

"STORMFLY, FIRE!" Astrid shouted, and Stormfly obeyed. While the Nadder and her rider took to taking care of Dagur, the rest of the Dragon Riders went for the Berserker armada, firing towards the ships.

"RETREAT!" the men shouted. "DAGUR, RETREAT!"

Just before Dagur could shout, "DAGUR NEVER RETREATS!" Stormfly fired at him again. Then, giving up entirely, Dagur ran towards his armada, jumping on one of the many ships, leaving shortly afterwards.

Astrid and the others landed their dragons around Hiccup and Toothless, nodding in satisfaction.

"Whooo OOOooo!" Snotlout shouted. "Snotlout wins!"

"We all did!" said Astrid, giving Fishlegs a high-five. "Didn't we, Hiccup?"

Hiccup was facing the ocean, his back to her. She paused when she saw he made no move or sound of recognition.

"Hiccup?" she asked.

She moved forward and spun him around, and he gasped.

"Astrid…" he breathed, and then squeezed his eyes shut, lowering his gaze. Astrid followed his eyes, and then gasped. There was a single arrow sticking straight out of Hiccup's stomach.

**OOOH, OOOH, CLIFFHANGER! SORRY! STAY TUNED FOR CHAPTER 2! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**OKAY, OKAY, sorry about that last cliffhanger. Shout-outs soon! :D Enjoy this chapter! :D **

"Hiccup…" Astrid said breathlessly, grabbing him by his shoulders before he face planted the dirt. Astrid sank to the ground with Hiccup, and in stunned terror, not fully knowing or thinking about what exactly she was doing, pulled him onto her lap, cradling him gently as if he would just shatter like glass.

Toothless roared and darted over to them, nudging his rider in concern and worry. When Hiccup just responded by moaning, Toothless growled, more worried than he had been previously, and tried nuzzling him again.

"Oh man…" Snotlout mumbled from behind them. His voice was thick, as if he had been crying, or was desperately near tears, or both. "How could this happen?"

"Astrid…?" Hiccup gasped, squinting up at her. She instantly looked at him, trying to keep her focus off the fact that he had an arrow lodged in his body. "Am...am I going to die?" His head lolled limply as he spoke, and whether he meant to or not, he was no longer looking at the girl.

"No," said Astrid firmly, turning his head again so he was forced to make eye contact with her. She determined at this point that he hadn't meant to look away. His body was limp, as if he had no control over it. "No you're not," said Astrid. "I promise."

"Funny thing, promises," Hiccup smiled weakly. Then, it turned into a frown. "Are you...are you _crying?" _Astrid nodded. "P-please," said Hiccup. "Please don't...please don't cry, Astrid, it's so weird…"

"What?" said Astrid, brushing some of her tears away with her free hand. "You didn't think Berk's toughest shieldmaiden could cry?"

"Not _really_…" Hiccup admitted.

"Well, she can," said Astrid.

"But...but if you're so sure…" Hiccup wheezed weakly, "...that I won't...won't _die_...then why...why are you _crying_?"

"Astrid," said Fishlegs before Astrid even started to answer, "I can remove the arrow...if you hold him down."

That was asking more than Astrid knew how to give, but somehow, she managed to nod in response. If Fishlegs didn't remove the arrow, Hiccup was going to die.

So, while Fishlegs stepped forward, Astrid tried not to look, but she still caught, with the corner of her eye, sight of the arrow that prodded Hiccup's abdomen. At that moment, she hated the Berserkers, and Dagur, and anyone else who ever followed that deranged maniac. What gave him the gall to do something like that? How _dare _he hurt Hiccup. How _dare he_.

"Astrid," Hiccup gasped, his breathing erratic and harsh. "I don't...I don't want to go…"

"Go?" Astrid said with a half-laugh, the tears in her eyes blurring her vision. "What do you mean go? Where would you be going?"

Hiccup shook his head. "You...you k-know what I me-an," he said.

He was right; Astrid _did _know what he meant, and she had known as soon as he started talking. Instead of replying to him directly, she grabbed his limp hand and held it so tightly she was sure she would break his fingers.

"You're not going anywhere," she said, squeezing his hand and staring straight into his piercing green eyes. "It'll all be okay, you'll see. I promise."

"Well, I'm...glad you feel that way," said Hiccup, pausing frequently as he spoke due to pain. "Confident...I-I mean. It's...g-good, but not necessarily...reassuring."

"Astrid," said Fishlegs, breaking both her and Hiccup from their thoughts, "if I'm going to do it, I'm going to have to do it now. I think the arrow was poisoned, so I need to move before it spreads to the rest of his body."

"Wait…" said Astrid, looking from Fishlegs to Hiccup, her breath becoming erratic as she feared the worst to come. "You mean...you mean Hiccup is going to be _conscious_...during this?"

"Astrid," said Fishlegs, "there's not another choice."

"Yes there is!" said Astrid, squeezing Hiccup's hand harder. "We could wait until we get back to Berk! We have to!"

"We can't!" said Snotlout. "We have to do it now, or Hiccup dies. He's already lost so much blood, Astrid. Any more, and it could end up being fatal!"

Astrid wanted to argue, but knew Snotlout was right, and kept her mouth closed because of it.

"Okay," said Astrid.

Fishlegs nodded. "Hiccup," he said, "this is going to hurt...a lot, okay? Try not to thrash, or it will hurt more."

"G-got it," Hiccup gasped, his chest heaving as he struggled to drag oxygen into his lungs. "Astrid…"

"Yeah?" Astrid replied.

"I'm...I'm scared…" Hiccup rasped, before a coughing fit gripped him violently. Astrid hugged him gently, making sure she didn't touch the arrow Fishlegs was working to remove. She hardly ever heard Hiccup actually admit he was frightened, especially in the face of danger.

"I know," said Astrid. "I know, I am too." She never would have admitted it any other day, but the thought of losing Hiccup truly scared her. Not many things frightened the Hofferson girl, but losing Hiccup was definitely one of them. "You'll be okay, though, Hiccup, I promise."

At this point, Astrid turned around to look at the other dragon riders. Ruffnut and Tuffnut were hugging each other in comfort, while Snotlout stared at his cousin with more worry and concern in his face than Astrid knew he possessed in his entire body. Fishlegs was kneeling in front of Astrid, working on the arrow, trying to decide what would be the best way to remove it.

"Ruffnut and Tuffnut," said Astrid, pointing to the twins, "go see if you can plunder a Berserker ship before they get too far. Don't destroy it, we'll need it if we're going to get back to Berk."

"Got it," the two Thorstons said in unison, turning and jumping on their dragon, heading out to do as Astrid had told them.

"Why can't we take the dragons?" Snotlout questioned. "It will be faster."

"None of us know how to fly Toothless besides Hiccup," said Astrid, "and he can't...for obvious reasons. A ship is our best bet, plus, dragonback would be dangerous for Hiccup, with his open wound."

"Astrid," said Fishlegs. "I'm ready...t-to remove the arrow."

At that moment, Astrid wanted to do anything but, but she knew, in the end, that it was necessary.

"Do it," she said.


	3. Chapter 3

**SHOUT-OUTS: **

**xFaerieValkyriex: I think Fishlegs needs more credit then he gets sometimes. He's awesome! :D **

**TheLastNightFury777: That _would have been cute! _GAH. :D **

**silverwolvesarecool: Me too! :D **

**Omegaman17: So sorry about that cliffhangie thingy...ya. :D **

**BraveDragonof214: Yes, I am insane. :D **

**VulcanTrekkie: You're right about the stopping at the most cliffy part. I like doing that for some reason. I don't know why! Maybe I'm just weird...CORRECTION, I AM CRAZY. **

**Guest: Thank you so much! :D **

**HiccupHaddockIII: I like cliffy! :D **

**AnimeAngel: DAGUR, JUST DIE! AGH! **

**Edlover23: Me too! (I will try and get your chapter to you today, I am so sorry it is taking me so long) **

**Silver Electricity: Oooh, latte! *takes it* *hands you another one* **

**Wanli8970: DANGER! :D **

Astrid made the mistake of looking. Hiccup's entire stomach was covered in blood, the fabric from his shirt being cut away where the arrow entered his skin. Fishlegs had one hand on the arrow, his other hand holding a dagger.

All in all, Astrid was happy to have Fishlegs there, who had studied health and injuries and knew what to do in case one occurred, because without him, she didn't know what she would have done. She was a soldier; not a healer. She didn't know anything about wounds or illnesses and what not.

When she finally managed to pull her eyes away, she focused on trying to keep Hiccup calm while Fishlegs worked in earnest to remove the crossbow arrow. She had a hard time registering what had happened exactly; she had watched Hiccup knock the crossbow out of Dagur's hands, but hadn't seen how he had ended up getting shot. The crossbow could have gone erratic, firing at will without someone behind the trigger, but she decided against that. It was bad luck; Hiccup was shot either way.

"Are you ready, Astrid?" Fishlegs asked. Astrid really wished he would just get it over with, because he was making her have second thoughts with the more he kept asking. She managed to nod, though, not even looking at Fishlegs as she did so.

She held Hiccup firmly but gently, one arm wrapped around his own arms, pinning them to his sides in case he struggled while the arrow was being pulled out, her other arm cradling his head to try and keep him relaxed. He gasped for breath, his eyes shut as his chest heaved from what little oxygen it was receiving.

She didn't watch Fishlegs, but she knew when the arrow was being pulled out because of how Hiccup lurched forward, grabbing Astrid's arm in a death grip as he whimpered and gasped for breath.

She patted his head awkwardly, not knowing what else to do. Hiccup seemed to relax, though, and leaned against her wearily.

"Done," said Fishlegs, looking at Astrid, ready to faint at that point. He held, in one hand, the arrow, which he held out for Astrid to look at while pressing a cloth against Hiccup's wound with the other. She recoiled in disgust at the sight of the weapon, grabbed it, and then hurled it in the opposite direction.

Fishlegs looked to the girl. "Keep pressure on the wound," he said, moving his hand to let Astrid resume his position. She took it up almost instantly, pushing against the incision. "If the blood soaks through the cloth," said Fishlegs, "don't remove it." He put a whole bunch of torn, rugged fabric in front of her. "Just put another one over it."

Astrid managed to nod, despite how shaky and terrified she felt at that moment. Fishlegs stood and went back over to Meatlug, no doubt looking for something he could use to wrap the wound, while Astrid remained with Hiccup.

Fishlegs returned an instant later and began wrapping the wound. Astrid held Hiccup in a sitting position while Fishlegs wound the bandages around Hiccup's stomach to stem the bleeding, and to prevent infection as best he could.

"There," he said at long last. "We need to get him back to Berk."

"We got the ship!" Ruffnut and Tuffnut exclaimed. Fishlegs, Snotlout, and Astrid looked up at the sky as the twins arrived on their dragon, dismounting and rushing over as soon as touching down.

"The Berserkers didn't want to give it up," said Tuffnut, gasping as he fought to regain his breath.

"But we got it regardless!" said Ruffnut. "It wasn't fun, doing it without blowing it up, but we managed it."

"Let's get going, then," said Astrid. As if on cue, Snotlout moved over to her, taking his cousin from her arms and hefting him into his own.

"Let's get out of here," said Snotlout.

And so, they trekked towards the shore, Ruffnut and Tuffnut leading them to their destination, followed by Snotlout, Astrid (who kept reasonably close to the boy), Fishlegs, and then lastly the dragons.

The twins broke into a run once they spotted the ship they pirated from the Berserkers. It was one of the smaller ships, yet still looked impressive. It was small enough for the twins and probably Snotlout and Fishlegs to mand on their own, yet big enough to fit the dragons and riders.

"That'll work," said Fishlegs simply.

"It better," said Snotlout.

They boarded the ship, Astrid and Snotlout heading below deck while Fishlegs and the twins, with a little help from the dragons, took to setting sail.

It wasn't cluttered below the deck of the ship, which helped tremendously. While Astrid fumbled to light an oil lamp, Snotlout walked over to an empty spot in the corner that looked remarkably scrubbed and cleaned, laying Hiccup down on the floor as gingerly as he could have managed.

Astrid brought the oil lamp over and set it down next to Hiccup, kneeling down next to the injured rider and his cousin.

"I need to go...um...help the others get back home," said Snotlout. "Take care of him."

"Okay," said Astrid. Snotlout _never _showed his caring side to _anyone _openly, and when he did by accident, he always covered it up, but yet everyone knew that he cared about Hiccup, no matter how hard the Jorgenson tried to deny it.

Another instant later, Toothless and Stormfly went below deck to check on their riders. Hiccup was still unconscious, while Astrid held his hand. Toothless growled in concern, eying Astrid and his master warily.

"You worried there, Toothless?" Astrid asked the Night Fury, trying to keep the panic tone out of her voice. Toothless growled in response, prancing over an unbelievably light paws and nuzzling Hiccup's side.

"Yeah, me too," Astrid admitted. "But Hiccup's been through worse than this. He'll be fine."

Toothless didn't appear to buy it, though, and moved to stand over Hiccup and Astrid, Stormfly doing the same beside him. Even though Astrid was with him, Toothless still wanted to remain there, standing guard in case a Berserker tried to take their ship back.

"Thanks, Toothless," said Astrid. "You too, Stormfly."


	4. Chapter 4

**Oh, yes, there was something I was going to tell you all...what was it...? Oh, yeah...! **

**HAPPY VALENTINES DAY! **

***faints* **

**Have some chocolate! *throws them out to all of you* I have decided that this fanfic will be around ten or so chapters long. Not too long, but it's a decent size. :) Then, after that, I believe I will post somethin' else...I don't know what, yet. Kind of on a blank here... **

**ANYWHO, enjoy this chapter, look forward to the next (maybe?) and DO NOT kill me because then you will NEVER know how the story ends! *Dagur's voice* BWAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAA! **

Astrid hardly noticed when Snotlout came below the deck of the ship, looking weary and frightened. Toothless and Stormfly both growled when he entered, and then relaxed once they realized who it was.

"We'll probably reach Berk by daybreak," he announced to Astrid, his voice strained. "We can't exactly move much faster than we are already going-"

"What if the dragons tow us?" Astrid asked, trying to think of a way to get there even faster. "You know, we can give them ropes, and then tie the other end to the ship, and have them pull us. It'll be faster."

Snotlout looked at her, and then grinned. "Yeah, actually, that's a great idea!" he said. "I'll go get the twins and Fishlegs and get them to start working on it." Before he left, Astrid called out to him.

"Take Stormfly, too!" she shouted. Then, she said to her Nadder, "You go on ahead with Snotlout, girl. Help us get home." Stormfly chirped in agreement, and then followed Snotlout back to the main deck of the ship.

Fishlegs, Ruffnut and Tuffnut were working in a frenzy, running back and forth while trying to mand the ship on their own.

"Astrid had a brilliant idea!" Snotlout announced. He picked up a rolled up rope from the deck, and tossed it to Fishlegs, who leaned forward and caught it instantly. "We're going to tie these ropes to the bow," said Snotlout, "and then tell the dragons to pull us. It'll get us back to Berk even faster."

"Hey, yeah!" said Tuffnut. "That's a great idea!" He shook his head with a half-laugh. "That Astrid, always working in the solution!" he said.

"Well, yeah," said Snotlout. "Come on! Let's hurry up! The sooner we get these ropes hooked up, the sooner we can get home!"

None of them mentioned Hiccup. None of them had the heart. They busied themselves with distractions, rushing about to do random chores that they never would have done on any other day, just to try and keep their minds off what had happened.

Meanwhile, Astrid, Toothless and Hiccup were below deck. Slowly but surely, Hiccup began to show signs of waking up. Part of Astrid wished that he would, while the other part was worried about the pain he would be in.

In the end, Hiccup's eyes flickered open, and he glanced about his surroundings, looking first to Toothless, and then to Astrid.

"Wh...where are we?" he asked, scant of breath.

"We stole a Berserker ship," said Astrid. "We're on our way home, back to Berk."

"Mmmnn...good," Hiccup said faintly. "Are...are y-you and the others alright?"

"We're fine," said Astrid.

Toothless moved over slowly, sniffing Hiccup before nuzzling his side. Hiccup laughed weakly, running his hand over Toothless' smooth, scaly head.

"Hey, bud," he managed to say. Toothless cooed gently in response, leaning into Hiccup's hand before he stepped away for a moment, just to curl himself around Hiccup and Astrid a second later.

"We have a body guard now," Astrid said.

"L-lucky us," said Hiccup.

"Are you okay?" Astrid asked.

"Y-yeah...I-I think so," said Hiccup. He was shivering, though, almost as if he were freezing.

"You should rest some more," said Astrid. "You didn't lose a lot of blood, Hiccup, but enough to lay you low."

Hiccup nodded half-heartedly. "Y-yeah, I-I know," he said. He leaned up against Toothless, and shut his eyes. Just when Astrid thought he was asleep again, she heard him say, "And thank you, Astrid."

Before she could respond, he was asleep for real.

Hours passed like days, but they finally made it back to Berk. Astrid felt the ship stop at the shore, and then heard the shouts of the villagers, wondering why there was a Berserker ship in their docks. She heard Snotlout shouting to them, telling them to hold their fire while also half-way explaining what had happened.

She heard the other riders and dragons get off the ship while Snotlout walked below deck, rushing towards Astrid and his cousin, crashing to his knees once he got there.

"We're back," he said. "We need to get Hiccup to the healer. He doesn't look too good." Really, he didn't. He was pale, shivering, and sweating, all the color drained from his face. Snotlout bent over and scooped his weightless cousin into his arms while Astrid and Toothless stood beside him, following him back to the deck of the ship.

The sun was rising, indicating that morning had come. The village gasped at the sight of their heir, limp in Snotlout's arms, while some of them ran off, no doubt to get a healer, or Stoick, if he hadn't already arrived.

"HICCUP!"

Yes, Stoick had already arrived, Astrid confirmed. The Berkian Chief ran up to Snotlout, taking Hiccup from him with tenderness only a father knew. He then began to trek towards his house, followed by Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and their dragons.

Stoick laid Hiccup down on his bed once they reached the house, and then Gothi entered the abode, looking solemn as she made her way over to Hiccup. She put her hand on his forehead, looked inside his mouth (for reasons the others _did not _want to know), and then finally lifted up his shirt just enough to see the bandages wrapped around his stomach.

Carefully, while the others held their breath, Gothi began to undo Hiccup's bandages, which were now bloodstained and deemed useless. Gothi didn't appear to like the sight of his wound, and then turned back to the others, writing on the ground after sprinkling sand down on it.

Fishlegs reluctantly stepped forward to read the writing, wondering and worrying for his friend all the same. Then, he read it to himself first, and gasped.

"WHAT!?" the others shouted in unison. "WHAT IS IT, FISHLEGS!?"

"Speak up!" said Astrid. "Go on, Fishlegs! What is it!?"

"She...she says the arrow was poisoned," said Fishlegs. "Hiccup, he's...he's going to die."

**WHOA WHOA WHOA CLIFFHANGER! SO SORRY! PLEASE DO NOT CHOP ME! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Roses can be red, roses can be blue, they can also be pink, white, purple, orange, and yellow. Step up your game, violets. **

**Sorry, I know you were all probably waiting for something romantic to happen... **

**OKAY, SO, a friend gave me their fedora, and the first thing I did was put it on and say, "OH LOOK! I LOOK _FEDORABLE!" _My family couldn't believe it. Some of them were all "Oh my gosh, she did not just do that" while I cackled and the rest of my family groaned. **

**I like puns. I'm sorry. Shout-outs soon (next chapter, or the chapter after that)! :D  
**

**NOTE: I was thinking about killing Hiccup in this fic, but I don't know if I will or not. I'm leaning more towards the "Not" just because I normally don't like destroying characters, but nothing is set in stone. I like to save my DeathFics for a really, really, really dramatic climax, and then do it then, and the more I do deathfics, the more people come to expect them, so I plan to keep it all a surprise. :) **

**I hope you can all still enjoy this and other stories. :) I'm writing a one-shot, by the way, that should be up once this fic is finished. I'm having trouble writing it...ugh, MIND, THINK! :D Enjoy the chapter! **

"WHAT!?" Astrid, Stoick, Ruffnut, Tuffnut and Snotlout shouted in unison. The dragons roared at their riders' yelling, looking at all of them in confusion.

"IS THIS SOME KIND OF SICK JOKE!?" Astrid yelled.

"No!" Fishlegs defended, shielding his face with his arms in case Astrid decided he would make a good punching bag. "No, that's what Gothi said! I promise! I wouldn't lie or joke about something like this!"

"Is...is it true, Gothi?" Astrid asked, and Gothi nodded, her head lowered, staring at the floor before she turned back and began tending to Hiccup again, washing his wound and then binding it tightly once more.

"Poison is curable...isn't it?" said Snotlout. No one said anything. "ISN'T IT!?" Snotlout demanded, louder a second time.

"Gothi, does the poison have a cure?" Stoick asked. Gothi looked at Hiccup, and then at the Chief, until she started writing more out on the ground with her staff. Fishlegs bent over to read the writing, and then looked back up at his Chief and friends.

"She says that the only cure for this kind of poison comes from...Berserk," said Fishlegs nervously. "And...and if we want Hiccup to live, then the cure on Berserk is his only hope. She...she says that...that...as of now...Hiccup is...he's _dying_."

"Dagur did this on purpose!" Astrid shouted angrily. "I thought it was just an accident at first that Hiccup was shot, but Dagur _knew _that he was shot! He _knew _that the only cure for the poison would be on Berserk! He knew!"

"What happened, Astrid?" said Stoick angrily. "All of it. Don't hold anything back at all."

And so Astrid and the other youths of the academy told him everything, starting from the training mission on Dragon Island, to fighting Dagur, to trying to save Hiccup after he was shot, and then finally to stealing the ship and getting back to Berk. Stoick listened while Gothi picked some herbs out of her bag and assembled a small concoction, soon forcing it down Hiccup's throat for an unknown reason.

"All that happened," said Stoick, his voice dropping dramatically as he looked back at his unconscious son laying on the bed, "and now, Hiccup is dying."

"He's not dying, sir," said Fishlegs. "Well, not technically. If we can get the cure from Berserk, he won't die. It's his only chance, Stoick."

"Fishlegs is right!" said Astrid. "We have to go find it, right now! Gothi, what does it look like?" While Gothi wrote with her staff, Ruffnut and Tuffnut looked back at the girl, Snotlout, Stoick, and Fishlegs.

"Wait...but if we do that," said Tuffnut, "aren't we falling into the Berserkers' trap? I mean...if what you said about Dagur meaning to shoot Hiccup with the arrow...or, maybe not even Hiccup, but any or us-"

"Then maybe he has something planned out to use against us once we get there," said Ruffnut. "He's going to try to kill us."

Astrid was surprised for a moment, mainly because the twins had a point, and also for the fact that they hardly _ever _were serious about something. She groaned when Ruffnut and Tuffnut suddenly shouted, "COOL!" and bashed their heads together, ruining what they had previously stated.

"It will be dangerous," said Astrid, "but at least Hiccup has a chance. If we move now, maybe we can save him, but if we don't move at all, then Hiccup...Hiccup will...Hiccup will _die_." She could barely say it; it was harder to imagine than one would think.

Once Gothi finished writing on the ground, Fishlegs stepped up to, once again, interperatate.

"She says that it is a root," said Fishlegs. "A root to a tree called...called...Feraschip. It only grows on Berserk, and that root and that root only is the cure for the poison infecting Hiccup's body."

"Okay, so what does it look like?" said Astrid quickly. She knew that the sooner they left, the sooner they could get back. She also knew that if they didn't leave soon, they weren't going to have enough time to find the cure before Hiccup passed away.

"Gothi says that it looks a bit like Loki tree, only it has a slight blue tinge to it," said Fishlegs. "The tree structure is waxy looking, and feels rough under your fingertips. It is grown near bodies of water, and near bodies of water only. It's unable to grow anywhere else."

"Okay, so we're looking for a blue, wax tree that likes water," said Snotlout, summing it up in that one short sentence. "It really shouldn't be too hard. When do we leave?"

"We're leaving now," said Astrid. "Right now."

"I'm coming with you," said Stoick. "You could use my help." Astrid knew that in truth, the Chief didn't want to leave his sick and dying son even for a minute. So, seeing that, she quickly shook her head.

"Sir, you stay with Hiccup," she said. "He needs you here, in case he wakes up while we're gone. You know that, hurt, sick or not, he will try to find us."

Stoick sighed, and then nodded, sitting on the edge of Hiccup's bed while watching the others just as they started to leave. Toothless nuzzled up to Astrid, obviously worried for both her and his rider.

"Oh, Toothless," said Astrid, "we'll be okay. Now, you stay with Hiccup here, and take care of him. Take _good _care of him, Toothless, for me." Toothless answered her by licking her, and she offered him a sad smile.

Just before they left, Gothi wrote once more in the sand, and Fishlegs paused to translate.

"Oh no," he mumbled, and the others heard him on accident.

Astrid, Snotlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Stoick, and the dragons whipped around in his direction, staring at him as Fishlegs struggled to find the words to speak.

"WHAT!?" they shouted. "FISHLEGS, WHAT IS IT!?"

Fishlegs swallowed hard. "We...we have until tonight," he said, "or Hiccup dies."


	6. Chapter 6

**HELLO! Okay, so I might be really slow on updating (like, limited to one - or maybe two - a day). THERE ARE ONLY FOUR MORE CHAPTERS IN THIS AFTER THIS ONE (unless more inspiration strikes me). I really like this chapter, for some reason. :) Enjoy! **

It was as if a trance had suddenly been brought upon all the others in the house. They couldn't move, nor did they know what to say, or how to respond. Hiccup had until nightfall, and then that was it. He was going to die.

Astrid suddenly wondered what she was thinking. He wasn't going to die, she would never have allowed that! She knew that she and the others could find the cure, just so long as they headed towards Berserk at that instant.

After all, they only had about twelve hours to get to Berserk, find the cure, take it, and get back to Berk in time to administer it to Hiccup.

"Come on then!" Astrid shouted, breaking the other riders from the silence that had fallen over the abode. "We have to leave, now!"

"Hey, she's right!" said Snotlout in agreement. "My cousin's life is on the line, and meanwhile, we're just sitting here doing nothing! Come on, guys! We have to leave!" He and Astrid were the first to run down the stairs, followed quickly by Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Fishlegs, and their dragons.

At the last second, just before they ran out the door, Astrid turned around and jogged up the stairs, skipping steps on her way. She didn't even pause in the doorway before she ran over to Hiccup's bedside, swept his bangs away, and kissed his forehead lightly and gently.

"I'll be back," she promised him, although he was unconscious. She didn't care that Stoick, Gothi and Toothless were all watching her at this point. All she cared about was getting back to Berk before Hiccup died. "Don't give up." Then, she raced back down the stairs, meeting with the other riders and dragons once more.

"Let's gather some resources," said Astrid. "And then, we need to hurry. I'll meet you all at the academy, and we'll head off."

They ran outside, followed by their dragons, whom they quickly mounted and headed off in opposite directions. Astrid grabbed her satchel from her house, completely stocked with a water canteen, bandages, and a knife. She shouldered the satchel, mounted Stormfly once more, and then flew towards the academy.

The others were already there, looking both frightened and determined at the same time as they anxiously waited to get going.

"We all here and ready?" Astrid asked, counting mentally. Snotlout, Fishlegs, Ruffnut and Tuffnut...yes, they were all here, and they all had satchels, with their own supplies stocked up with them.

"Okay, then let's go," said Astrid, acting as leader in place of Hiccup. Stormfly took the hint and spread her wings, soaring towards Berserk, the others following her closely, just as the sun rose, bringing light to all the land.

Getting to Berserk alone took a while, even on dragon back. As soon as the island was in sight, the landed their dragons, dismounting, their feet hitting the sand almost in unison.

"Okay, okay, so...let's just, find this thing, and get out of here," said Astrid. "We're looking for a blackish bluish tree with a waxy look, rough feeling, a near-water environment." They split up, walking in different directions, their dragons following their appropriate riders.

They searched for hours, until finally, they heard Ruffnut and Tuffnut's voices ring out.

"I found something!" they both shouted in unison. Astrid instantly raced towards the sounds of their voices, followed by Snotlout, Fishlegs, and their dragons. They found the twins standing, looking at a tree located right near the shore of the beach. It looked just as Gothi had described it, with its waxy blue look and the fact that it was right next to the ocean.

Its branches were thick, looking only slightly blue, and only when the sun shone down upon it. Astrid was suddenly very thankful that it was daytime, or else they wouldn't have even been able to notice the blue hint the bark of the tree carried.

There were no leaves on the tree at all, and yet it didn't look dead. Its branches were healthy and strong, and Astrid knew that if she had climbed it, it would have been able to hold her weight no problem.

Of course, they weren't here to climb trees. Astrid dug through her satchel, taking out her knife after she found it.

"So this is the tree?" said Fishlegs. Astrid noded, stepping forward, digging some of the dirt away from the base of the tree while the other riders moved over to help. The tree roots were almost completely blue, like the ocean, thick, and stiff, like a pencil.

"Well, here we go," said Astrid. She pulled one of the roots, finding the biggest one (she didn't know how much she needed, and she knew that she had to be safe about the amount), and then started to saw it with her knife.

Meanwhile, the other youths and dragons stood guard, looking for Berserker soldiers, expecting them at any given time. If the Berserkers knew that the Berkians were coming, then they must have had _someone _waiting out for them, ready to capture or attack them. However, no one came, though.

Astrid continued the task of sawing the root, and once she finished, the root no longer attached to the tree, she put the saving medicine in her satchel, along with her knife, and stood, making her way back over to the other dragons and riders.

"Well, that was easy," said Astrid.

"Yeah…" said Snotlout hesitantly. "Too easy, maybe."

"Surprise, surprise!" shouted a voice from behind. The riders froze, turning around slowly, in perfect unison, at the sound and tone of the voice.

"So nice of you guys to be here!" said Dagur the Deranged. "Welcome to Berserk!"


	7. Chapter 7

**OKAY, PLEASE READ THIS: **

**Alrightee, so, I got a lot of requests in the past, and wrote them all down in a notebook. Well...guess what? I LOST THE NOTEBOOK. *gasp* I KNOW, I AM SO SORRY! So, I need you all to give me your requests again. I remember quite a few of them, but if you could give me them once more that would be SPLENDID. Thank you all so much! :D **

**PLEASE READ THIS, TOO: **

**I go on a one month hiatus every two months...and so in the month or March, I will not be here. *another gasp* I will be going on hiatus throughout the month (maybe I'll post one one-shot, or somethin', but that'll be it). And so, just so you all are prepared. When I get back in April, I will have many new ideas and things to write about if you all give me your requests. You don't even have to be reminding me of your request in order to request: I'm leaving it open to the group to request all they want. Go for it. It might take me a while either way, but go for it. :) ENJOY THIS CHAPTER, SHOUT-OUTS NEXT ONE! :D BYE! **

Stoick paced, back and forth, waiting for Astrid, Snotlout, Fishlegs, and the twins to get back. Hiccup was still unconscious, while Gothi continued tending to him, trying to keep him alive long enough for his friends to return with the cure.

Uneven footsteps broke Stoick from his thoughts, and he looked over at the stairs just in time to watch Gobber hobble up, looking confused and solemn.

"The village has gone mad!" the blacksmith said. "Everyone is outside wanting to know what happened! I figured I could give you a hand in that case, but I don't know what happened."

"Hiccup was shot by Dagur," said Stoick.

Gobber gasped. "That Chief doesn't know his place," he said. "Sometimes I wish he would come over here, just so we can destroy him-"

"It's not just that, Gobber," said Stoick, looking over his shoulder at his dying son. Gothi turned her head, meeting eyes with her Chief for just a moment before she continued to work in earnest.

"Not just that, aye?" Gobber said, raising an eyebrow. "What else is there?"

"The arrow was poisoned," said Stoick. "And...so is Hiccup."

"Poisoned!?" Gobber shouted. Stoick nodded. Gobber looked at his apprentice, and sighed. "Poor lad…" he said. "Is there a cure? Will he get better on his own if there's not?"

"No, he won't get better on his own, and the other kids are getting the cure as we speak," said Stoick.

Gobber nodded. "Ah, I was wondering why they weren't here," he said. "Normally, if Hiccup was sick, none of them would leave his side unless they had to, or were required to. Seeing none of them here is a bit strange, unless they're trying to help."

Stoick nodded. "I'm worried though, Gobber," he said. "They've been gone for hours, and they're not back yet. Gothi has given Hiccup until nightfall...what if the others are too late?" He sighed. "I guess I could be overreacting-"

"You're not, Stoick," said Gobber. "You're just acting like a worried parent. That's what I would say."

Stoick nodded, although he didn't look convinced. "Still," he said, "I'm supposed to be guiding the other Berkians. I suppose I should go tell them what happened, before they barge in here to find out themselves-"

"No, Stoick, let me," said Gobber. When Stoick looked ready to protest that he was Chief and it was his job alone, Gobber continued; "You stay with Hiccup. He needs you here now more than the people need you personally to tell them what's going on. They'll listen to me."

Instead of protesting, Stoick only sighed. "Thank you, Gobber," he said.

"Always here to help," Gobber said while shrugging, and then marched downstairs to tell the Berkians what had happened. While he did that, Stoick sat on a stool parked by the bedside, watching the healer as she worked.

"There's nothing you can do?" Stoick asked. Gothi shook her head sadly, not looking up from whatever she was doing to Hiccup's wound. It looked like she was pouring saline over it, but there was no way for Stoick to be sure. It appeared as though she were trying to make it so there was no risk of infection.

Stoick hoped that the others would get back soon. Because if they didn't, he feared Hiccup wouldn't survive.

…

The dragon riders turned around to face their enemy. Dagur merely laughed, holding a crossbow in one hand, an axe in the other as he eyed each rider with a different expression, smiling when he realized which one was absent.

"So," he said, "the poison took its toll on Hiccup now, didn't it?" He laughed, and Astrid wanted more than ever before to imprison the deranged Chief and leave him there to rot, giving him plenty of time to think about what he had done.

"You shot and poisoned my cousin!" said Snotlout, stepping forward, drawing his sword. "No one can hurt my cousin and live to tell the tale."

Astrid was taken back by Snotlout's boldness, and the fact that he was defending Hiccup, when normally, he acted as though he hated the boy. Dagur wasn't fazed even slightly, and if he was, his barking laughter hid it.

"Oh, you Berkians and your friends," said Dagur. "Hiccup was _so _easy to shoot. All I had to do is aim the arrow at one of you, and what do you know? He jumps in to save you. He was so easy to get rid of, the Dragon Conqueror." Dagur sheathed his axe, aiming his crossbow at the dragon riders. "How much easier will it be to get rid of you?" he smirked.

"You," Astrid snarled. "You...how dare you…"

"It's just life!" said Dagur, shrugging and gesturing wildly with his hands, crossbow and all. "Getting hurt is part of life, especially when you're someone like Hiccup. Lost a leg at fifteen, gets captured by Outcasts, and now shot and poisoned. Really. He's vulnerable to attackers."

"Well, maybe physically," said Astrid, "but mentally, he's stronger than us all. I bet you if a hundred Berserker soldiers were thinking of a plan that took them two weeks to figure out, Hiccup could do a better version by himself and get it done in a _day_."

"Oh _please_," said Dagur. "You and your little dragon riding friends here are _hilarious! _Of course, though, it's not going to save you, or your leader in the end. I'm not letting you leave the island with that root, just as Hiccup is not going to be cured. He is going to die, and you guys are going to be the ones to blame." Dagur got an evil gleam in his eye, and instantly started laughing once again.

"Oh, well, actually," he said, "maybe I should _let _you return to Berk. Maybe, I'll just let you all go, that way, you can see how you have failed Hiccup. I'll make you a deal."

"What _deal_?" Astrid hissed.

"You drop the root," said Dagur, "and I'll let you all go, no harm at all. But...if you choose to hold onto the root, I will lock you in the dungeon, and you will live the rest of your days knowing that Hiccup was dead. It's your choice. Which will it be?"

Astrid looked at Dagur, and then looked to the other riders. They nodded in silent agreement, and she looked back at the deranged Berserker Chief.

Astrid took a deep breath. "I choose…"


	8. Chapter 8

**SHOUT-OUTS (YAY!): **

**SecretlyNerdish: I like cliffhangers. :D **

**silverwolvesarecool: :) Thanks! :D **

**midnightsky0612: CLIFFHANGERS. :D **

**xFaerieValkyriex: GO ASTRID! :D **

**TheLastNightFury777: That's the best idea I've heard all day! Kill Dagur, leave without a trace! Brilliant! *high fives you* **

**movielover48: Yes, I remember that one. :D I'm planning on doing it as soon as I break off my hiatus (starting in April). :D **

**Omegaman17: Whoa, remind me never to get on your bad side. And yes, sequel to Wayward Strangers. I've already planned doing it. It will be called Wayward Foray. :D **

**BraveDragonof214: Close! :D **

**Silver Electricity: Aaah, yes, I remember yours. :D **

"I choose...NEITHER!" Astrid shouted, and the others yelled their agreements. Then, all at once, they charged at the Berserker Chief, ready to take him down then and there with no problem, no questions asked otherwise. Dagur took them on instantly, firing crossbow arrows at each and every one of them as they dodged and moved out of the way.

"You Berkians think you're so clever!" said Dagur. "But I know better! You are nothing, in the face of Berserk! You think I came here alone? Well...I DIDN'T!"

As if on cue, more screams and shouts of war filled the air. Astrid and the other riders turned around, just in time to see more Berserker soldiers running towards the beach, their weapons drawn and at the ready.

Dagur laughed, lowering his crossbow. "See what I mean?" he asked, although he already knew the answer. "You Berkians don't even stand so much as a _chance _against Dagur the Deranged, and his arma-" He was cut off when Hookfang slapped him across the face with his tail, hardly giving it a second thought.

"Good boy, Hookfang," said Astrid, looking at Dagur's unconscious form. "That was quick. Now...let's take down these other Berserkers." They turned, and then charged, their weapons ready to be used against the enemy.

The war started, and continued. Astrid bashed a soldier upside the head, while the others around her did the same. The Berkians and dragons, by the looks of it, were winning…

...Until Astrid was shot.

Somehow or another, Dagur hadn't actually been unconscious. He was just barely managing to stay awake, and did so just - _just _\- long enough to lift his crossbow, and fire at the Berkian girl. Astrid screamed when she felt the pain explode in her leg, feeling more heated with rage then actually hurt.

"ASTRID!" the other riders screamed her name, but she wasn't listening. She pulled the arrow out of her leg, and examined its head. It wasn't the same kind of arrow Hiccup had been shot with, which most likely meant that it wasn't poisoned. Which was good, because the last thing the Berkians needed were _two _people in need of the cure.

Still, though, it didn't help the fact that Astrid's leg was bleeding at an alarming rate.

"STORMLY!" Astrid shouted, limping over to her dragon, knocking Berserkers to the side as she did so. Her Nadder ran to her the rest of the way to save her the trouble, and then instantly stood over her rider to protect Astrid while she tied a piece of bandage hastily around her leg.

The arrow wound wasn't deep, but it still hurt. Part of Astrid wanted to shake it off and continue fighting without binding it, while the other part knew that that idea was ignorant. If she was going to continue fighting (which she was), then she couldn't have her blood leaving her body as she fought.

"Astrid!" Fishlegs yelled as he ran over to her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" said Astrid, although she knew it was a lie. "Can't we just get the dragons and get back to Berk, right now!? Come on! We have to hurry!"

"I'll...I'll see," said Fishlegs, and then raced off to find the others. Meanwhile, Astrid mounted Stormfly, throwing her knife at a Berserker as he passed while Stormfly fired at them with the hottest flame the dragon could have mustered.

"WE'RE READY!" shouted the voice of Snotlout. Then, without waiting another second, the dragons shot into the sky.

Astrid made a headcount; Fishlegs was there, Snotlout was there, and Ruffnut and Tuffnut were there. The dragons were there as well, obviously, or else some of the riders would have been missing.

"Astrid, are you okay!?" Fishlegs shouted. "I saw you get shot!"

"Wait, she was _shot_?" said Tuffnut. "Awesome! You're so lucky!"

"Um...no, _not _lucky, actually," Astrid moaned.

"Wow, are you alright there, Astrid?" said Snotlout. There was concern in his voice, which was something strange, since usually, it was the exact opposite. Astrid nodded, taking more bandages out of her satchel and wrapping her leg better than she had previously done it. Then, she focused Stormfly and herself onto flying to Berk.

There wasn't much time left.

…

Back on Berk, Gothi ran back and forth in a frenzy while Stoick sat beside Hiccup on the bed, resting his hand on his boy's forehead. It was nightfall, and Hiccup was worse than he had been before, his breath labored and uneven while his forehead burned from a fever raging through his body, giving no signs of breaking.

Gothi moved over and forced something down his throat; at first, he coughed and choked, but was eventually coaxed into swallowing. When he did, his fever went down a little bit, but it was temporary, and he went back to burning a second later.

"There has to be something we can do!" said Stoick. He was watching Hiccup die, slowly and painfully, right in front of him. No father was supposed to watch their child suffer, so this was no acception.

Gothi shook her head violently, hearing the same question come from the Chief for the utmost time in the past few hours. She raced frantically back and forth, trying to think of a way to bring down Hiccup's fever while waiting for Astrid and the others to arrive with the cure.

She didn't know how much longer Hiccup had to live. It could have been an hour, while at the same time, it could have been minutes.

Hiccup's breathing suddenly picked up dramatically, sounding worse and more weezy then it had been previously. It went on for a few minutes, Stoick and Gothi panicking, until suddenly, Hiccup stopped breathing altogether.

He wasn't breathing.

No…

**OKAY, SO THAT JUST HAPPENED! PLEASE NO ONE KILL ME, BECAUSE THEN I CANNOT FINISH THE STORY! :D Sorry about that...**


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm writing a new fanfic when this one is done called "Be Brave" which will be one of my last fics before my hiatus. It'll be short (like, five chapters long, or something), and then I am posting a one-shot, and then...HIATUS THROUGHOUT MARCH. ENJOY THE CHAPTER! :D **

Astrid and the other dragon riders forced their dragons to their limit; it was nightfall. They didn't have much time left. Astrid ignored her throbbing leg, her mind only having thoughts for Hiccup. He was going to die...if he hadn't already…

"Come on!" she shouted. "We need to go faster! Which dragon here's the fastest!?"

"Um...either yours or Hookfang," said Snotlout.

"Okay, well, let's go as fast as we possibly can!" said Astrid. "Fishlegs, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, we'll have to leave you behind."

"Oh, don't worry about us!" said Fishlegs. "Just go! Hurry!"

Astrid and Snotlout nodded, and then shot towards Berk. Astrid pushed Stormfly even faster, making sure the dragon flew as fast as he possibly could have flown. Stormfly, sensing her rider's distress, went faster, soon leaving Snotlout behind by accident.

However, she didn't have time to care. With Hiccup on Berk, dying, there was hardly any time to. She needed to get to him, and save him, before it was too late.

She landed Stormfly in front of the Haddock residence, just in time to have her heart stop for a moment when she heard Stoick shout, "NO! HICCUP!"

"No…" she whispered to herself, shaking her head, tears stinging her eyes. "No...no no no no no no no no...Hiccup no…" She yanked the root out of her satchel and ran, straight into the house, up the stairs with no problem, and then into Hiccup's room. She gasped at the sight of the pale body of her friend while Stoick and Gothi stood around him, both of them crying.

Astrid froze, almost dropping the plant in her hands in the process. Half-consciously, she heard the other dragon riders arrive, landing their dragons and then racing into the house and up the stairs.

Fishlegs, Snotlout, and the twins stopped dead in their tracks, looking at Hiccup with horror.

"No," said Snotlout, shaking his head. When Astrid looked at him, she saw that he was crying. "No, he can't be...he can't be..._dead_."

Astrid only continued to stare, unable to speak, until she finally found courage to race forward to the bed, crashing to her knees and pressing her ear to Hiccup's chest. Nothing. His heart wasn't beating, his chest wasn't rising and falling...he wasn't breathing.

But he...he couldn't have been _dead_. Astrid finally found her voice, feeling heated with rage and pain. Dagur had done this to Hiccup. Hiccup, her best friend, and her leader. The person who had ended the three hundred year war between viking and dragon.

"We can still try," said Astrid, and then turned to Gothi. "How do I administer the root?" she asked. Gothi broke herself free from her tears and scribbled out on the ground quickly. Astrid moved away and pushed Fishlegs towards the writing, silently ordering him to read what it said.

"She says to rub it off on the wound," said Fishlegs. Astrid instantly turned, undoing Hiccup's bandages, the root still in one hand while she worked with the other. "But Astrid…" Fishlegs hesitated. "It's too late. Hiccup is gone."

The words hung in the air like a bad aroma. Astrid paused for just a split second before she continued to work in earnest. When she finally finished unwrapping the bandaging, she gasped at the sight of the wound. It was red, almost glowing, as if in triumph.

Astrid shook her head, took the root in one of her hands, and then started rubbing it against the wound. Hiccup's skin was freezing, like ice, but that didn't stop her. She continued going, tearing little pieces of root off and pushing them into the wound, not knowing what else to do.

She thought that maybe, just maybe, the cure would kick in, and everything would be alright. Hiccup would wake up again. Hiccup would smile at her again. Hiccup would train more dragons, come up with more ideas, and just _live _again.

As she worked, she was vaguely aware of Toothless moaning, tossing his head back and wailing in sorrow. She heard Fishlegs sobbing, and saw, in the corner of her eye, Ruffnut and Tuffnut once more holding each other in comfort as they stared at their heir. Snotlout was crying silently, no doubt trying to keep his tears a secret, while Stoick did no different.

Astrid didn't try to hide her tears; they flowed from her eyes like miniature rivers, never ceasing as she continued to rub the cure into Hiccup's wound. She didn't know whether or not it was going to work, but she needed to try. She couldn't give up without letting Hiccup have a chance.

Once the root was no longer in her hands, rubbed over Hiccup's open wound hastily and unceremoniously, the waxy blue look standing out over the red of the incision. Astrid took a step back, staring at Hiccup, hoping and expecting him to shoot up and breathe again.

After about ten seconds, nothing happened. Astrid felt her breath quicken. Were they too late, for real? No...no, they couldn't have been too late...Hiccup couldn't have been dead. Not for real. He couldn't have died.

"Hiccup…?" said Astrid, stepping towards him and, hesitating at first, grabbing his cold, limp hand in her own. "Come on, Hiccup, get up," she said through clenched teeth, tears continuing to spill from her eyes. "HICCUP!" she screamed at him.

"Oh no…" Fishlegs said, sinking to the ground against the wall. Next to him, Snotlout did the same, burying his head in his hands. Ruffnut and Tuffnut remained unmoved until they too dropped to the floor, staring at the floorboards as if they were suddenly very interesting.

"We...we failed," said Snotlout. "We failed him."

As if on cue, Hiccup shot up in his bed, coughing and dragging in lungfuls of air as he fought to get the proper amount back in his lungs. After he fell back sharply almost instantly, getting his breathing under control enough, he glanced around the room. Everyone was staring at him, looking torn between fainting and screaming.

Hiccup double blinked. "What?" he said. "Did someone draw on my face again?"

**I am sorry to those who were hoping I was going to kill Hiccup off. Well...sorry about that. Please, no one get mad. :) **


	10. Chapter 10

**LAST CHAPTER! :D **

It was then as if the world suddenly exploded around him.

He was suffocating in Astrid's embrace, while he heard Snotlout shout, "YES!" at the top of his lungs. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Ruffnut and Tuffnut shot to their feet, grabbing each others' shoulders and bashing their heads together. His father hugged him as well, while he sat there, confused as ever, wondering what in the world had happened.

"You were dead, Hiccup!" Astrid shouted, slugging Hiccup's shoulder - hard. "DEAD! You...your heart stopped! You stopped breathing, Hiccup!"

Hiccup only stared at her, rubbing his newly bruised shoulder. "So, my heart stopped...and the first thing you do is punch me."

"Give it a rest," Astrid mumbled. "Besides, I hugged you first, so it wasn't the _first _thing I did."

"And you told _me _to give it a rest," said Hiccup.

"For someone who just died," said Snotlout, "you have a very good attitude."

"I didn't just die!" said Hiccup, half-laughing. He paused when he saw everyone else staring at him, his smile fading. "...Right?" he asked hesitantly.

Stoick sighed, reluctantly breaking the hug with his son to look him in the eyes. "We have a lot to talk about," he said.

And so they told him, beginning from when Hiccup passed out on the ship, ending with how Astrid and the other youths of the academy and their dragons found the cure. Hiccup listened intently, nodding only a few times during the entire conversation. Astrid left out the part about being shot, only because she didn't want Hiccup to worry, because she knew how he got when he was concerned.

"Wow," said Hiccup, once they had finished their story. Then, he looked at Astrid, his eyes moving to her leg, and he gasped. "Astrid, what happened to your leg!?" he shouted, pointing at the bloodstained bandages wrapped around her calf. Astrid winced. Somehow, she _knew_ he was going to figure it out sooner or later.

"Oh, yeah...um...Dagur shot me," said Astrid.

"HE DID WHAT!?" shouted Hiccup, trying to sit up again, only to cry out sharply and slump against the bed once more.

"Easy there, Hiccup," said Astrid. "You get so worried about something as small as a little scratch."

"It's not a little scratch!" said Hiccup. "Look at the amount of blood on the bandage!"

"Well it's not like it's still bleeding!" said Astrid. "And besides, it's not like it's poisoned or anything, like yours was!"

"YOU KNOW THIS HOW!?" Hiccup shouted.

"How many poisoned arrows can Dagur have, Hiccup?" said Astrid, rolling her eyes. "Seriously! Besides, the arrow was different then the one you were shot with. If it were poisoned, I would already be unconscious."

"YOU ARE NOT MAKING ME FEEL ANY BETTER!" Hiccup shouted.

"I'm fine!" said Astrid.

Gothi motioned for Astrid to sit down, and she groaned before doing so, letting the elder unwrap the bandages, clean the wound, and then rewrap it. Hiccup nodded in satisfaction, and Astrid merely glared at him. Stoick stood, ruffling Hiccup's hair as he went.

"You stay here and rest," he said. "I'm going to go tell the village before they come back and demand to know themselves." He left shortly afterwards, the door slamming behind him. Snotlout, and the twins left after bidding their farewells to Hiccup, heading to their own homes to get some of the rest they needed.

"It's fine!" said Astrid. "You can stop worrying about me now!"

"Yeah...not gonna happen," said Hiccup.

Gothi examined the wound, and then wrote out with her staff. Fishlegs read over it, and then sighed with relief.

"The arrow wasn't poisoned for you, Astrid," he said. "You are lucky."

"See?" said Astrid. "I told you!"

Hiccup huffed.

After Gothi finished bandaging the wound, Astrid stood to leave, limping slightly, Fishlegs helping her keep balance.

"Hey, Astrid!" Hiccup called to the girl just before she left.

Astrid turned around to face him. He still looked pale, sweaty and sick, but at least he was _alive_. That was better than anything else at that moment.

"Yes?" said Astrid.

"Thank you," said Hiccup, "for saving my life."

"You're welcome, Hiccup," said Astrid, smiling warmly at him. Then, she turned and left, leaving Hiccup by himself with Toothless. Toothless cooed, laying his head on his master's chest while Hiccup rubbed his head.

"I have some great friends, Toothless," said Hiccup, his eyes fluttering as he felt sleep tugging at him, getting stronger and stronger with every moment. "I don't know what I would do without them."

That being said, Hiccup fell asleep.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **

**So, I know a lot of you wanted me to kill Hiccup, but I normally try to stay away from DeathFics. I have done some, but it doesn't mean I like doing them. I know I'll do another DeathFic eventually, but don't expect it anytime soon. **

**On a side note, thank you all for reading, reviewing, faving, or following, or whatever you awesome people like to do. It's so strange, how some of you are asking me to kill Hiccup, and then the others of you are begging me to let him live... **

**I do BOTH! :D **

**I don't normally do DeathFics, so when I do it comes as even more of a surprise, doesn't it? You never know what to expect with me... **

**Except someone getting hurt. You can most assuredly expect that. **

**I will be posting a new story probably later on titled "Be Brave" (rated T for some violence). It'll be rather short, about five chapters long or something like that, just something about Hiccup and Astrid. :) So, I will see you all then! Until then, this is Beyond, signing out! :D **

**-BeyondTheClouds777**


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